Friends to Neighbours…
As we launch our Friends to Neighbours referral program – we sat down with Megan and Tina who have already lived the friends to neighbours experience at Aston Hills. We asked them – what is it really like to have your bestie living just around the corner? Turns out – pretty incredible… !
Lanser: How did you meet and how long have you been friends for?
Megan & Tina: We met in early 2014. We both started in the same induction group at work. We didn’t hit it off straight away but quickly overcame that and became very close. Tina chose the position purely because she was saving for a home, Megan was saving for her wedding at the time. Throughout the time we’ve been friends we’ve gone through marriages, babies and building houses together.
L: So who moved to Aston Hills first? And what made you choose this as the place to build your home?
T: I moved here first. I bought my block of land in early 2015, purely by chance. We put an offer on a block in another estate and it fell through at the last minute so on the same day we drove to Aston Hills for the first time and loved it. There was only 1 block of land available to buy as most were on hold or sold – I called the land agent and submitted an offer on it immediately so we didn’t miss out again. I honestly believe it was fate because now I can’t imagine living anywhere better!
M: Our family bought our block in early 2018, commenced building late 2018 and moved in April 2019.
L: Had you guys lived near each other before?
M & T: Previously we both lived South of Adelaide but not close.
L: What made you recommend Aston Hills as a place to live?
T: I recommended Aston Hills as a place for Megan and her family to check out when they first started looking at land, however her family mostly lives South or West of Adelaide so was expecting her to chose something there. I was stoked the day they checked out Mount Barker and loved Aston Hills! I chose it because of the community feel and also knowing the potential of this estate and what it will evolve into for our families.
M: We picked Aston Hills because of what surrounds it, the amazing wineries and loving and supporting local businesses around you. Tina mentioned a number of times to come check out the estate when I was helping her pick tiles… when we finally did we fell in love and no where else compared.
L: What are some of the benefits of having a friend living around the corner?
T: Our husbands work together in a FIFO (fly in, fly out) role in mining and are on the same shifts which has worked out to be a dream. This means they leave and return at the same time. We both have young children so it’s amazing having the support of each other when they are away. It can get quite lonely, so to have a friend close by who understands what the other is going through, especially with kids of similar ages, it’s invaluable. Also being able to borrow some milk, wine or sweet chilli sauce when you run out… recently we helped each other jumpstart a flat car battery… it’s amazing!
M: It means that we are lucky enough to have each other while our husbands are away. This includes asking each other if you need anything from the shops when you cannot leave the house, or coming in and jumpstarting someone’s car, or in my case having someone cook you an absolutely delicious meal because she’s an amazing chef and I am not that, and always having someone to share a wine with who is not far away.
L: What do you both love most forward to most about life at Aston Hills?
T: I love how close we are to so many beautiful places! The wineries, the restaurants, the cheese and chocolate factories… The produce in this area is absolutely amazing! It’s literally all a 10-15 minute drive from your door. We also are magically close enough to everything yet far enough from everything to be in the perfect location. I can’t wait for the development to start evolving (I can’t wait for the shops to come!).
M: What I love most currently is living on the best street in Aston Hills. I can without a doubt say that the street that I live on is the best, the people are amazing, and just around the corner I have Tina. And what I look forward to in the future is being able to have somewhere to go to get an amazing coffee within walking distance and more play areas for my little girls.
L: How have you been keeping safe (and sane!) during the pandemic – has it helped having a friend close by?
T: Definitely! My family returned from a trip to New Zealand on the 14thth of March and were instantly quarantined. Megan and her family were a godsend. They delivered us groceries, activities for the kids and anything else we needed throughout those weeks where we couldn’t leave the house. Since then with social distancing we have continued to see each other … we have really been each others only company other than family since March and its been great having friends so close to keep us sane.
M: We are lucky enough that our husbands work in the same place and have been self-isolating from childcare etc. We have been lucky enough that we have been able to socialise with each other whilst maintaining social distancing rules and regulations. It has been absolutely fantastic to have someone so close to share this crazy time with and someone who understands what it’s like to have a FIFO husband. For me it’s a huge bonus that Tina is a great chef, honestly I cannot imagine living so close to anybody else, we are very lucky.
L: Do you feel like Aston Hills and the Adelaide Hills in general has a good sense of community?
T: Yes! I absolutely love having the community Facebook page. Being able to post about anything and have our neighbours right there for us… there is definitely a sense of community here and it’s awesome.
M: The sense of community in Aston Hills is what you get from a small country town but without being far away. Actually knowing people who live near you and being able to wave and have a nice chat is incredible. It’s all the parts you want from a small country town but not being far away from the city.
L: What are some of the other ways you’ve helped each other out over the years?
T: I feel like we’ve been through so much together… emotional support throughout pregnancy and birth of our babies, major life decisions… For anyone who’s been through it building a house alone is major! Megan literally referred my husband Jonel to get a job in the mining industry, so she is the reason we have this life we’re lucky to have. Last year my son split his head open and needed stitches at Mount Barker Hospital, I was lucky to have Megan close enough to pick my other son up from childcare so I could be at the hospital. Her friendship really is invaluable.
M: Throughout our building process while we were living in Roxby Tina would come past our block nearly daily by my request because I wanted updates. She would send me videos and photos which was amazing, so many updates which was really invaluable… since then she has regularly cooked up absolutely delicious meals for our regular family dinners. She’s always been there when I needed a helping hand or even just an ear…. I can’t wait to see what the future holds as our kids grow older together (and us too).
L: What would you say to friends thinking of moving to Aston Hills?
T: Do it! I’m a massive advocate. It’s the most amazing estate, the most amazing surrounds and the best investment in yours and your families’ futures. You won’t regret it!
M: Do it! Do it! Do it! With everything else that is to come for this estate and everything that’s already here the value for money and the sense of community that you get, why would you even think of building anywhere else? And you get us for neighbours, so why wouldn’t you?
Want to turn your friends into neighbours too? You can find out more about Lanser’s Friends to Neighbours offer here.